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ABSTRACT: Purpose
The role of microRNA-146a (miR-146a) in defining the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) is well established. The aim of this study was to evaluate circulating miR-146a as an early prognostic marker of 90Y-radioembolization (90Y-RE) in metastatic liver cancer and to assess the correlation between circulating miR-146a and TIME cellular composition in distant, yet untreated metastases.Methods
Twenty-one patients with bilobar liver lesions from gastro-intestinal cancer underwent lobar 90Y-RE. Biopsy of contralateral lobe abscopal tumors was acquired at the onset of a second treatment session at a median of 21 days after initial RE, immediately prior to ablation therapy of the contralateral lobe tumor. miR-146a was measured by RT-qPCR in plasma collected 24 h before (T1) and 48 h after (T2) initial unilobar 90Y-RE. The level of miR-146a was correlated with the infiltration of CD4 + , CD8 + , FoxP3 T cells, CD163 + M2 macrophages and immune-exhausted T cells in the abscopal tumor tissue acquired before the second treatment session.Results
Plasma samples collected at T2 showed a higher concentration of miR-146a with respect to T1 in 43% of the patients (p = 0.002). In these patients, tumors revealed a pro-tumorigenic immune composition with enrichment of Tim3 + immune exhausted cells (p = 0.021), in combination with a higher infiltration of CD163 + M2 macrophages and a lower infiltration of CD8 + T cells. Patients with a higher level of miR-146a after 90Y-RE showed a trend to shorter OS (p = 0.055).Conclusion
miR-146a may represent a novel prognostic biomarker for 90Y-radioembolization in metastatic liver cancer.
SUBMITTER: Hirner-Eppeneder H
PROVIDER: S-EPMC10587196 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Hirner-Eppeneder Heidrun H Öcal Elif E Stechele Matthias M Öcal Osman O Gu Sijing S Kimm Melanie A MA Wildgruber Moritz M Salvermoser Lukas L Kazmierczak Philipp P Corradini Stefanie S Rudelius Martina M Piontek Guido G Pech Maciej M Goldberg S Nahum SN Ricke Jens J Alunni-Fabbroni Marianna M
Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology 20230719 14
<h4>Purpose</h4>The role of microRNA-146a (miR-146a) in defining the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) is well established. The aim of this study was to evaluate circulating miR-146a as an early prognostic marker of <sup>90</sup>Y-radioembolization (<sup>90</sup>Y-RE) in metastatic liver cancer and to assess the correlation between circulating miR-146a and TIME cellular composition in distant, yet untreated metastases.<h4>Methods</h4>Twenty-one patients with bilobar liver lesions from gastro- ...[more]